gilis Guide

Three islands. Three time the Fun

Three small islands off Lombok that are synonymous with the sweet combination of good time and beautiful nature. Blue sky above, white sands beneath and blue sea as far as the eye can see.

Take your pick. Gili Trawangan with its party vibes or Gili Meno and Gili Air with their subtler setting. All at your disposal only one speedboat-ride away from Bali.

In almost every occasion where every “Have you ever been to Gili?” takes place, it is always followed with rants of how awesome the Gili experience was. Indeed, there are only two kinds of people in this world: those who have been to the Gilis, and those who are about to.

Gili Trawangan is the most eventful among the three islands.

For quieter surroundings head to Meno or Air.

From Lombok: Fastboats and shuttle boats to Gilis are mostly located in Teluk Nara, Teluk Kodek and Bangsal Harbour.

From Bali: You can go to Padang Bai. There are boats making trips to the Gilis on regular basis.

On
the Gili islands there are no engine driven vehicles. But there are
several opportunities to rent bikes, horses or carriages to explore the
islands. Due to the fact that the islands are very small, you can
circuit Gili Trawangan, the biggest of them, within one hour by bike.

The Gili Islands are all about enjoying the ocean. You can go snorkeling with turtles directly from the beach or get your PADI diving license at one of the diving schools. You can go on boat tours and try the subwings. There are also several SUB and snorkeling equipment rentals on the islands. Another amazing activity is waterskiing and Jet Ski riding. If you look for more calm activities you can visit the cooking school or ride a horse to explore the islands.

Don’t steal. They have a famous walk of shame for all kind of thievery.

Gili
Trawangan is the biggest of the three islands with the most nightlife
and activities, but it's also the most crowded island.

Gili
Air is considered as the backpackers island and the best place to go
for those who just want to relax and have a good time at the beach.

Gili Meno is the most traditional island in the archipelago and renowned as
the “honeymoon island”. There you will find everything you need for a
romantic holiday with your partner.

There
are 4 ATM’s on Gili Trawangan, 1 on Gili Air but none on Gili Meno.
Anyway we recommend you to bring enough cash for the first day and of
course to bring enough for your whole stay if you are planning to go to
Gili Meno.

In 2016 Ramadan dates from 6th June until 5th
July. Parties are cancelled during Ramadan even though it is in the
high season. Anyway bars and restaurants are still open. It is only
imposed to turn the music down at night to respect the islands culture.

Travelling
with the fast boat from Padang Bai is absolutely safe but we recommend
small children to keep seated during the whole trip, as they absorb most
of the shocks from the waves.

Depending on how much crowd you desire for your stay on the remote archipelago you should take a look at the seasons.

Low-season is February, March, April and November

Mid-season is May, June and October

High-season is January, July, August, September and December

English
is widely spoken on the Gili Islands. As the islands are a famous
holiday destination and most of their citizens work in the tourism
sector, you can be reassured that you will have no problems to
communicate.

Horse
riding is only offered on Gili Trawangan. It is very easy to arrange as
you just have to ask the staff of your accommodation. They will be
happy to arrange everything for you. It costs about 25$ for one hour but
it is enough to go round the whole island.

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Bedforest is a new online travel agency based in Bali, Indonesia, offering short term villa rental, room rental, bungalow rental and hotel rental. Additional to this, Bedforest donates 1% of the total booking amount to a non-profit organization of your choice, this without any extra charge or booking fee for the guests. What you see, is what you pay!